Process for making transparent polymer-based materials for solar panels

1 . A transparent polymer-based composite, comprising:

an activated polycarbonate formed via a transcarbonation reaction of a mixture of a carbonic acid species having terminal ester groups and a bisphenol-A with sodium hydroxide and ortho-dichlorobenzene; and

one or more dendritic fibrous nanoparticles grafted to the activated polycarbonate,

wherein the one or more dendritic fibrous nanoparticles is an inorganic filler grafted to the activated polycarbonate via one or more urethane bonds.

2 . The transparent polymer-based composite of claim 1 , wherein the carbonic acid species is bis(methyl salicyl) carbonate.

3 . The transparent polymer-based composite of claim 1 , wherein each nanoparticle is modified with a 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane.

4 . The transparent polymer-based composite of claim 1 , wherein the mixture comprises from 1 gram to 5 grams of bis(methyl salicyl) carbonate as the carbonic acid species, from 0.5 grams to 4 grams of the bisphenol-A, from 0.1 milligrams to 3 milligrams of the sodium hydroxide, and 10 milliliters to 50 milliliters of the ortho-dichlorobenzene.

5 . The transparent polymer-based composite of claim 1 , wherein the one or more dendritic fibrous nanoparticles are dendritic fibrous silica nanoparticles, and wherein from 0.01 grams to 0.1 grams of the dendritic fibrous silica nanoparticles are grafted to from 0.1 grams to 1 gram of the activated polycarbonate.

6 . The transparent polymer-based composite of claim 1 , wherein the one or more dendritic fibrous nanoparticles is selected from the group consisting of silica, titanium oxide, zinc oxide, and zirconium oxide.

7 . The transparent polymer-based composite of claim 6 , wherein each nanoparticle is modified with a reactive functional group.

8 . The transparent polymer-based composite of claim 7 , wherein the reactive functional group is an amine-terminated silane.

9 . A method of preparing the transparent polymer-based composite of claim 1 , comprising:

forming the activated polycarbonate via the transcarbonation reaction of the mixture of the carbonic acid species having terminal ester groups and the bisphenol-A with sodium hydroxide and ortho-dichlorobenzene;

and

grafting the one or more dendritic fibrous nanoparticles to the activated polycarbonate.

10 . The method of claim 9 , wherein forming the activated polycarbonate comprises:

mixing bis(methyl salicyl) carbonate as the carbonic acid species in an amount ranging from 1 gram to 5 grams, the bisphenol-A in an amount ranging from 0.5 grams to 4 grams, the sodium hydroxide in an amount ranging from 0.1 milligrams to 3 milligrams, and the ortho-dichlorobenzene in an amount ranging from 10 milliliters to 50 milliliters; and

heating the mixture to a temperature between 60° C. and 160° C.

11 . The method of claim 9 , wherein grafting the one or more dendritic fibrous nanoparticles to the activated polycarbonate comprises reacting at least one poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) with the activated polycarbonate in presence of a tin (II) 2-ethylhexanoate, thereby forming an active polycarbonate-poly(methyl methacrylate) copolymer.

12 . The method of claim 9 , wherein grafting the one or more dendritic fibrous nanoparticles to the activated polycarbonate comprises:

mixing the activated polycarbonate with functionalized silica in ethanol,

wherein the activated polycarbonate is contained in an amount ranging from 0.1 grams to 1 gram, and the functionalized silica is contained in an amount ranging from 0.01 grams to 0.1 grams;

heating the mixture to a temperature between 80° C. and 120° C. for approximately 48 hours, thereby producing a modified polycarbonate; and

dissolving the modified polycarbonate in chloroform at 20% (w/w) followed by evaporation.

13 . The method of claim 9 , further comprising modifying the one or more dendritic fibrous nanoparticles with a 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane prior to reacting with the activated polycarbonate.